Grade Assessments (GA) – Planning your Assessment
Planning your assessments is a vital stage of your Grade Assessment (GA). As the Candidate, starting and staying on track is ultimately your responsibility.
Read Insight Article
Grade Assessments (GA) – Collecting your Evidence
The Grade Assessment process requires you to gather evidence that can be used as part of your assessment. It is important the evidence you provide shows a range of activity and is relevant to the competencies you are aiming to have signed off.
The Perception of Competence
The subject of competence has always been a topic of discussion in the offshore energy and maritime industries. The discussions tend to fall around how do we actually know if someone is competent, and who makes the decision as to whether they are.
Skills Assessors – Judging Evidence
As an Assessor you must be able to judge evidence that has been presented by your candidate and decide if it confirms their competence or otherwise.
Skills Assessors – Planning Grade Assessments (GA)
As an Assessor it is important to ensure you provide Candidates, undertaking a Grade Assessment, with the opportunities to receive a fair assessment.
Skills Assessors – Testing a Candidate’s Knowledge and Understanding
An important stage of Assessment process is testing a Candidate’s knowledge and Understanding.
ICA Evidence – What do we mean by ‘Essential Knowledge Assignment’?
As part of the ICA evidence requirements, MTCS require you to provide an ‘essential knowledge’ written report which demonstrates your understanding of your role.
Grade Assessment (GA) – Uploading your Evidence
When it comes time to start uploading your Evidence to MTCS Online, there are individual areas to upload to for each section.
Grade Assessment (GA) – The MTCS Verification Process
Once you have submitted your FINAL submission to the MTCS Online portal, our Verification process will begin.
Why Competence is still as important as ever
Undertaking competence programmes does require commitment and investment, but what price can put on someone’s safety and, ultimately, their life?
Why do I need a High Voltage course?
The completion of a High Voltage Course is required for personnel to be compliant with health and safety legislation, including Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 (EAW). Basically, your employer has a duty to train you in any activity that is deemed hazardous, in this case high voltage electricity.
Who is the MTCS ROV High Voltage Course suitable for?
The MTCS ROV High Voltage Course is suitable for any person required to maintain or repair a work class ROV, Plough or Trencher that operate on voltages in excess of 1KV AC/1.5KV DC. A high voltage course is not generally required for small inspection ROVs because they do not tend to operate on high voltage…
Why do I need a certificate of competence (and why MTCS)?
The subject of competence is a thread which runs through every workplace the world over and, whilst it may not always be expressed as such, it’s there all the same. But why do we need a certificate of competence, and why choose MTCS?
Grade Assessments (GA) – Completing the Paperwork
We provide ALL the paperwork you will need for this process. The important bit for you to focus on is ensuring its all filled out correctly.
Grade Assessments (GA) – Assessing your Knowledge and Understanding
Assessing your Knowledge and Understanding through questioning, is a crucial part of an MTCS Grade Assessment.
MTCS Launch High Voltage Electrical Safety Audits
MTCS have launched a Workplace High Voltage Electrical Safety Audit to support the safety of personnel operating, maintaining and/or testing high voltage equipment.
Notice of Price Increases 2025
Due to ever-increasing operational costs, MTCS (UK) Limited have had to make the difficult decision to increase the prices of our online training courses and competence certification.
New Industry Standard Set for Inspection Engineer Training
Leading specialist in competency and training solutions, MTCS (UK), has been working with the DOF Team in Australia to develop a new set of industry standard competencies for Inspection Engineers employed in the Asia Pacific region.
Grade Assessments (GA) – Examples of 3 Activities to Assess your Performance
Identifying and planning the three Activities for your Grade Assessment can be difficult at first. To help you understand the breakdown and what we are looking for in your plan, we have put together some examples of different graded Grade Assessments.
ICA Evidence Requirements – All about Witness Statements
Within the MTCS Individual Competence Assessment (ICA), as part of the evidence requirements, we require you to provide a Witness Statement to support the information you have provided.
Retrospective Assessment
When working offshore, it’s not always practical or possible to assess a Candidate ‘in the moment’ as the working environment and the tasks being undertaken can make it virtually impossible.
Do I need to be an electrician to complete the MTCS ROV High Voltage Course?
It has been a long running debate in the ROV industry as to whether someone who is required to isolate an ROV prior to maintenance should have an electrical background, qualifications, and experience.
Does the course make me competent to isolate an ROV after completing the course?
No training course can automatically make someone competent, and competence can only be achieved by successfully demonstrating a specific task over a period of time in different scenarios. For example, the competence assessment within the MTCS High Voltage course requires someone to supervise the electrical isolation and ensure it is carried out safely and in accordance with procedures.
Preparing for Assessment
GA and ICA programmes do require commitment from both Candidates and those assessing or witnessing their activities, and appropriate planning and preparation will help support all involved in the process.
Completing Competencies to Re-validate a MTCS Certificate of Competence
Personnel continuing at their existing grade and level of work may understandably ask MTCS if they need to re-validate their Certificate of Competence and if they are required to repeat the process and submit a Portfolio of Evidence?
Why are MTCS Certificates of Competence valid for only 3 years?
A question which has, understandably, been asked of MTCS on a number of occasions is regarding the length of time that a certificate of competence is valid for.
What a contracting company should expect from a Certificate of Competence
It is important that contracting companies appreciate the process by which the Certificate has been awarded and to question the individual at interview stage on the background to them achieving their Certificate.
Skills Assessors – Collecting Evidence
Your candidates will collect evidence throughout their assessments via observation, questioning and more than likely other sources too.
Motivating the Team
Keeping people who work in the maritime and offshore oil and gas industries motivated can be a challenge – we propose the solution is good supervision, recognition and a commitment to professional development.
Skills Assessors – Assessing Performance over a Range of 3 Activities
Assessing a Candidate’s performance through 3 activities needs pre-planning and organising.
Grade Assessment (GA) – Feedback
You should receive Feedback throughout your Grade Assessment from your Assessor. You’ll receive separate Feedback from an MTCS Verifier after submission.
Best Foot Forward for Carer Support South Lakes
MTCS managing director Richard Warburton and friends have undertaken a 30-mile walk through the heart of the English Lake District to raise both funds and awareness for a very worthy cause.
Assessing Competence in Remote Locations
Smart use of everyday technology and applications makes it possible to undertake live competence assessments when working remotely or offshore, or record video and audio as part of your evidence.
ICA Evidence Requirements – Offshore Medical & Survival Certificates
The final stage of your Individual Competence Assessment (ICA) evidence requirements, includes the mandatory Offshore Survival and Medical Certificates.
ICA Evidence Requirements – Record of Work
The MTCS Individual Competence Assessment (ICA) requires you to provide a ‘Record of Work’ as evidence to support the information you have provided.
ICA Evidence Requirements – Appraisals
Within the MTCS Individual Competence Assessment (ICA), as part of the evidence requirements, we require you to provide Appraisals to support the information you have provided.
Balancing competence with traditional practices
Can traditional ways of working still have a place in maritime, offshore, subsea and rewnewables sectors, and where does this sit with competence?
Skills Assessors – The Vital Element in Successful Competence Certification
A Skills Assessor plays an integral part in the continuous professional development of personnel working in the highly specialised and safety critical roles in the diverse maritime industries that MTCS support.
New Addition to the MTCS Team
As part of our continued growth, MTCS are delighted to welcome Jade Pawson to our team at our Head Office here in the English Lake District.
Notice of Price Increases
Due to ever-increasing operational costs, MTCS (UK) Limited have had to make the difficult decision to increase the prices of our online training courses and competence certification.
MTCS and Port Training Services Announce Training Partnership
A PARTNERSHIP has been agreed between Port Training Services, the dedicated training division of the Port of Blyth, and the internationally renowned specialists in competence management and training for personnel involved in safety-critical activities in the energy sector, MTCS (UK) Ltd.
Opportunities for Associate Verifiers
As our business grows, a number of recruitment opportunities have arisen for suitably experienced personnel to join the MTCS team.
Experienced Personnel – how to verify their competence the ICA route
Training and competence specialists MTCS discuss how companies can ensure their experienced personnel demonstrate competence in the offshore energy sector
Does Training Ensure a ‘Competent’ Workforce?
MTCS discuss how training courses in the offshore energy industry do not make an individual competent. Whilst training forms part of the process, workplace assessment by trained and qualified Skills Assessors is essential.
MTCS High Voltage Training Supports Enshore’s New JETs
A new generation of equipment technicians has benefitted from ROV High Voltage Training provided by leading offshore energy sector and competence management specialists MTCS.
The Role of a Technical Authority
A Technical Authority is someone who has the authority to make a decision about whether High Voltage Equipment has been isolated safely, correctly and in accordance with company procedures.
Validating a Certificate of Competence
Organisations across the globe rely on MTCS as providing the ‘benchmark’ for ensuring they have a competent workforce. Fraudulent certification is on the rise and some individuals go to great lengths to create what is intended to pass as a valid and authentic Certificate of Competence.
Assessment of Eligibility for Diving Certificates of Competence
In response to a number of recent enquiries, MTCS would like to clarify the requirements for Certificates of Competence for Commercial Diving personnel.
Working Towards Letter
A question that MTCS are often asked is “How do I get a Certificate of Competence if I have not been actively working, through no fault of my own?”
New High Voltage Awareness Online Training Course Launched by MTCS
MTCS (UK) Ltd have launched a new online training course for personnel involved in the operation, maintenance and/or testing of high voltage equipment.
Definitions of Witnesses and Assessors
What is the difference between an Assessor and a Witness? And why do we need Assessors if we have Witnesses? In order to answer this, we firstly need to look more closely at both roles.
Rise of the AUV must be matched by competency
Advances in the design and technologies of AUVs has seen these sleek subsea machines become highly manoeuvrable, with extended mission times and operating at impressive depths, yet we can’t forget the need for competent operators who will always play a key role in any mission.
High Voltage Certificates and Certificate Validator Tool
As a direct result of the migration to the new MTCS Online system you may notice some slight differences in the appearance of your High Voltage Certificate when you access it through your account, and of certificates when you access them via the certificate Validator Tool. You may find the wording may appear slightly different…
MTCS Online – Phase II Launch
We are pleased to announce that the launch of the Phase II upgrade to the MTCS Online platform will take place during March 2021. The new system offers an enhanced user experience for both individual users and company administrators alike.
MTCS Certificate of Competence Validation – Update August 2020
MTCK (UK) Ltd are often asked by clients if there is a method by which they can check the authenticity of the Certificates of Competence for individuals who they intend to employ or, in the case of agencies, personnel they are considering supplying for a contract.
MTCS Online Launch Date
Offering clients a ‘state of the art’ learning and development platform, the new MTCS Online allows users across the globe access to the industry-leading training and competence certification.
MTCS Online – Scheduled System Maintenance
MTCS Online – notice of scheduled system maintenance Due to essential system maintenance and upgrades, the MTCS Online system will not be available between 00:01 GMT on Monday 25 March and 23:59 BST on Sunday 31 March, 2019 Naturally, should these activities be completed ahead of schedule, we shall make the MTCS Online system available earlier than the above…
New MTCS Online – FAQs
The new MTCS Online system is entering its final stages of development with data migration scheduled and user testing underway, with the MTCS team working closely with the very talented people at Synergy Learning. We very much look forward to welcoming you to the new MTCS Online experience and trust you will be pleased with the new system. In the…
IMCA e-Portfolio Recognised as Evidence by MTCS
In response to the recent International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) Competence & Training seminar in Aberdeen, MTCS (UK) Ltd are pleased to confirm the newly designed IMCA competence assessment E-Portfolio can be included as evidence towards verification. This will apply to either new certificate applications or for certificate renewals. MTCS are specialists in competence certification…
What is a Portfolio of Evidence?
In one a recent Insight article, I talked about what we meant by the term ‘evidence’ which, as far as MTCS (UK) Ltd is concerned, refers to the information personnel provide in support of their professional competence, and ensuring this is both true and correct.
What do we mean by ‘evidence’?
As you can imagine, there are many definitions on the meaning of evidence, but we won’t bore you here with a long encyclopaedic answer! In this instance, we – MTCS (UK) Ltd – are talking about the information you are providing in support of your competence, and ensuring this is both true and correct. First of all, you…